Yardlong beans love the heat and humidity of the tropics so they grow great here in Lehigh Acres summers. These prolific beans taste just like Northern string/snap beans. Don't be afraid of them just because they are different! Seeds are available online and often for free at the Lehigh Acres Edible Gardening Exchange meetings.
Sow seeds 1-2 inches deep with 6-12 inch spacing between plants. Seeds germinate in about a week. Soaking seeds for 24 hours hastens germination. Plants begin producing about two months after sowing. Beans form in pairs and grow to maturity in just a few days. A few ants tend to hang around the stems of these beans, but they are not the biting type. Check vines daily once they start producing. Harvest them at "up to pencil thickness" and you will never be disappointed. The beans should "snap" when broken into pieces. These beans are excellent in stir fries, lightly steamed, or fresh picked right off the vine.
Yardlong beans love the heat and, once established, can tolerate a brief drought. The cooler the weather, the slower yardlong bean will grow. Frost kills the plant. For tons of beans, succession plant them every two weeks from April-September.
Most gardeners find that yardlong beans don't grow to a yard. A better approximation would be "up to 30 inches". Yardlong beans need a sturdy trellis. Consider growing these marvels on the side of your house with a screw eye and galvanized wire trellis. Their foliage will cool your house!
There are many varieties of Yardlong beans based on the seed color. Yardlong bean has many other names including Asparagus Bean, Garter Bean, Snake Bean, Chinese Long Bean, and Long-Podded Cowpea. With any name they are delicious and worth a place in your edible garden.
